Latch device



March 17, 193e. w. A. FLM/1N 2,034,457@

LTCI; DEVICE Filed sept. 13, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to latch devices, and has special reference to latch devices designed and adapted for use in connection with double doors.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved latch device designed and adapted to be attached to the free edge of one door and having means for engagement and operation by the adjacentl free edge portions of an adjacent door, so that when the two doo-rs are closed the latch device is operated to effective latching position automatically and as lan incident to the closing of said two doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for releasing the latch device automatically and as an incident to the opening of the adjacent door, so that the door supporting the latching device will be released and will be free to swing open when the cooperating door is opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for holding the latch device in eiective latching position irrespective of whether the adjacent cooperating door is closed or not.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. l is a sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 2 of the adjacent marginal portions of a pair of vdoors and the latch device mounted on one of said doors and controlled by the other door.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the marginal portion of one of the doors and the latch device mounted thereon taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an outer side elevation of a portion of the latch device in its unoperated position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the latch device in its operated position when both doors are closed.

Fig, 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the positions of certain of the parts when the latch device is held in effective latching position by means contained in the latch device.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pair of doors constituting double doors having latch devices mounted in connection with the upper and lower ends of one of the doors in position to be operated and held in eiective latching positionv of the door frame 4 and the door 2 is similarly supported by hinges 5 attached to said door 2 and to the opposite side of the door frame 4. These doors, when in closed position, are in alinement and a conventional latch and lock device 6 mounted on one door engages the other. The latch devices constituting the present invention may be mounted on the door I .and the conventional latch and lock device 6 may be mounted on either door, so that the door 2 will be held closed by said conventional latch and lock device i5 while the latch device constituting the present invention positively holds the door I closed.

Since the latch devices that are attached to the up er and lower ends of the door l are alike, a` description of one will suiiice for a complete understanding of both. Recesses 'l are formed in the free edge at the upper and lower ends of the door I, and one of said latch devices is mounted in each of said recesses 1. The recesses 'I are preferably of less width than the thickness of the door.

A plate 8 is mounted within the outer portion of the recess 'i and has its lower end 9 extending downwardly beyond said recess and seated in a shallow recess and attached to the door by screws I 5. The upper end of the plate 8 has an angular extension I2 extending beyond the recess 'I and seated in a shallow recess in the upper end of the door and attached to the doo-r by a screw I3. A boss I is formed integral or rigid with the plate 8 .and the angular extension I2 thereof and has an outwardly tapered hole I5 therethrough which, in the closed position of the door, is in axial alinement with the opening in a socket member or keeper I6 attached to the upper part of the door frame l for that latch device which is at the upper end of the door, and to the lower end or sill of the door frame 4 for that latch -device which is attached to the lower end of the door.

A rod I'I is supported by the plate 8 and has on its outer end an enlargement I8 mounted in the opening I5 and designed and adapted to be moved outwardly into the socket or keeper Iii to effective latching position and to be retractedl to position within the hole I5 to unlatch vthe door.

The outer end of the enlargement i8 preferably comprises a conical formation 'I9 to facilitate movement of the part I8 into the keeper socket' I6.

The inner end of the rod I'I is connected by a pivot 2U with a lever 2| supported for swinging movements about a pivot 22 attached to and projecting inwardly from the plate 8. A spring 23 encircles the rod II and has its outer end seating against a washer 24 and its inner end against an abutment 25 attached to the rod I'I. The washer 24 is seat-ed against the inner end of the boss I4 and the rod |'I is free to slide through said washer and the washer is free to move laterally as the rod |'I is oscillated and is also moved longitudinally by operation of the lever 2|. The power of the spring 23 is utilized to move the rod I'I longitudinally to withdraw the latching portion I8 thereof from the keeper socket I6 and thereby unlatch the door I. Said spring will yield when the lever 2| is operated in opposition to the power of said spring to permit the latch portion I8 to be moved to latching position in the keeper socket I6.

A pin 26 attached to the lever 2| projects through an arcuate slot 2T formed in the plate 8 concentrically with the axis of the pivot 22. The pin 26 projects outwardly beyond the plate 8 a sufficient distance to constitute an operating device for the lever 2| and to be' engaged and operated by a contact member 28 on the door 2 when the door I is in closed position and the door 2 is swung to closed position. The end wall 26 of the slo-t 27| constitutes a stop for the pin 2S to limit extent of. movement of the rod |'I by' the spring 23.

The contact member' 28 is embedded in the free edge of the door 2, a groove being formed inthe edge of the door 2 beyond the edge of the member 28 to receive the pin 26. When the door I is in closed position and the door 2 is swung to closed position, the contact member 28 engages the pin 26 and moves said pin 26 from the position` shown` in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby operating. the lever 2| in opposition to the spring 23 and moving the latching portion I3 of said. rod |'I outwardly and into the keeper socket I6. Thus, both latch devices comprising the one at the upper end of the door and the one at the lower end of said door I are operated toy effective latching position automatically and as an incident to the closing of said two doors, and the door 2 will be held in closed position by thev conventional latch and lock device 6.

When the door 2 is opened', the spring 23 acts to release the latch device and permit the door I to be opened; However, the latch device may be manually operated. and may be retained in position tor hold; the door II closed even though the door 2' is opent. A lug 30 is rigid with: the

rod IV'I.Y A. pawl or detent 3|- is mounted on a-` pivot 32 supported by the plate 8 and is' pressedY against the lug 36- by` a spring 33. rIhe door 2 does not move the ro'dl EIJ far enough to engage the lug 36' above the upper.' end ot the pawl 31| and consequently' the spring- 2`3 is free-torelease the latch whenever the door' 2` is opened. However, the slot 21 is long enough to permit further movement of the pinV 26 beyond thev position to which the' member 28 will move said. pin. The member 28 moves the' pin 26v about to the position4 shown in Fig. 4' and said pin 26 may be moved manually from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5, This addi'- tional. movement' ofA the pin 261 moves the rod II far enough.. to' engage the lug! 361 above the pawl 3|' (Fig.` 5), and the latchW device will then be retained in effective latching position irrespective of whether the door 2 is open or closed. The pawl 3| has a lug 34 projecting outwardly into a slot 35 formed in the plate 8 and said lug 34 may be manually engaged and operated to release the pawl 3| from the lug 30, as desired, whereupon the spring 23 will operate to release the latch device and permit the door to be opened.

It is now apparent that this invention attains all of its intended objects and purposes efciently and satisfactorily and it is further apparent that the invention may be varied within the sco-pe of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and princple thereof.

I claim:

1. A latch device for a door comprising a plate having a slot therethrough, a boss rigid with one end of said plate having a hole therethrough, a lever pivoted to said plate at a distance from said boss, a latch rod having one end pivoted directly to said lever and having the opposite end extendingk into said hole in said boss, an abutment attachedto said rod between said lever and said boss, a washer seated against said boss and having a hole through which said rod eX- tends, a coiled spring encircling said rod and having its ends pressing against said abutment and said washer, respectively, for moving said rod'- longitudinall-y in o-ne direction, and a pin attached to saidl lever and projecting through said slot for moving said rod longitudinally in opposition to said spring to a position in which said rod projects through and beyond said boss.

2. A latch device for a door comprising a plate '7 and being movable laterally against said boss when said rod is operated by said lever, an abutment attached to said rod between said washer and said lever,` a coiled spring encircling said rod and having its ends abutting said washer and said abutment respectively, latching means I for' holding said rod' extended through and beyond said boss in opposition to said spring, and a device for releasingV said latching means.

3. A latch device for a door comprising a plate having a slot and having hole through one end thereof, alever pivoted to` said plate at a distance from said hole and having a projection extending through saidslot, ai latch rod having one end pivoted directly to said lever and the opposite end extending int'o said hole, an abutment' attached to saidv rod between said lever andsaid h'ole,- a washer seated against said plate and having a hole? through which said rod extends, aVl coiled. spring encircling said' rod and having its endsseated againstv said' abutment and said washer, respectively, for moving said rod longitudinally in one direction', and releasable means' for holding said ro'd extended through said hole said'lplate ini opposition to said spring,

WILLIAM A. FLAVIN.` 

